Day of the Dead 2009 (Nov 1 - Nov 2) - Quest Guide + Information!

This event is a memorial holiday in which we celebrate the honor and memory of those who have passed on. They make a spiritual return to our lands, which we prepare with food and festivities, for only two days: November 1 - 2. The holiday is a minor in-game event, similar to Pirate's Day or the Harvest Festival, but it's pretty interesting regardless!

Everything you need to know about this world event can be found after the break.

Getting Started!

To take part in the events festivities, you must first locate Catrina, an undead female (and a reference to La Calavera Catrina) who can be found near the graveyard of any capital city. She will give you some information regarding the holiday itself, and it is most important that you remember to /dance with her - upon doing so, you will earn the only achievement for this holiday, Dead Man's Party. You will also gain the buff Honor the Dead, which will change you into either Catrina or Chapman for 12 hours. Why exactly? I don't know. Who cares, I'm a druid and I'll lose the shapeshift in a matter of seconds, right?

Quests

The only quest available during the event is The Grateful Dead, and this quest can only be completed once, for one spirit. The quest will only be available at your race's home city unless you have access to Shattrath City or Dalaran - where the quest can be completed by any race/faction. So taurens complete the quest for Thunder Bluff, Orcs for Orgrimmar, etc.

In order to obtain this quest, you must first purchase either an Orange Marigold or a Bouquet of Orange Marigolds from Chapman, the vendor located near Catrina at any city graveyard. The difference between the two items is that one is a single-use consumed item that will only last the duration of the event while the other is a re-usable permanent offhand, though its use will only function during the event as well (similar to Noblegarden's Egg Basket).

Use the flower at any city graveyard to allow your character to see the cheerful spirit remaining there. The spirit will offer you the quest, The Grateful Dead, requesting that you bring the spirit an offering of food - in this case, Bread of the Dead (or Pan de Muerto). The Bread of the Dead recipe requires 1 Cooking skill to learn, and the recipe can be purchased from the graveyard vendor Chapman. Simply whip up a batch of tasty bread and bring it to the cheerful spirit.

You will be rewarded with a temporary pet, the Macabre Marionette - an awesome skeleton pet wearing a sombrero and wielding maracas! However, for some completely absurd reason, this pet can only be used during the Day of the Dead event; it cannot be learned and kept like other companion pets - meaning it's a pet that only lasts two days. This renders the Marionette almost entirely un-fun and it will soon be forgotten - bummer to all the pet collectors out there. :/

Comment by Ataw

Comment by Farmbuyer

What about Death Knights? since they dont start in the regular starting area, do you have to visit a graveyard near the Death Hold?

The quest is based on race, not class.

Comment by Dunefire

on 2009-11-01T04:24:03-06:00

So far

The human one is just outside SW its a graveyard west of the road heading to Goldshire,

Draenei, its by azure watch, Gnome/dwarf, head left as you exit IF and wind around to the left as you run

NE to come.

As you head out of Darnassus, dont. Head left from the exit and there in the corner by the wall

Dal one is by the entrance to the Violet Stronghold, there is no milk in Dal so you need an alt to mail some

This takes about 10 min per chr if there in a major city, and need to learn cooking too, relatively easy to do so worthwhile imo

Comment by burkee

on 2009-11-01T04:24:24-06:00

The pet disappeared from my bags after I hearthed to dalaran...... =((((((((((

Comment by tapankaikki

on 2009-11-01T04:29:36-06:00

well its already got a bug for the quest did it with low lvl toon and then went to my main and did same steps but no ghost questgiver tryed 3 other alts and none of them can see the quest giver they all completed the acheivment but cant get the pet sent a ticket

You have to do the marionette quest at your home city. IE: trolls and orcs at orgrimmar, Blood elves at Silvermoon, Dwarves/gnomes at ironforge. etc. the quest won't show at any other city for that toon.

Or you could just complete whole set (quest and achievement) at Dalaran GY (just next to Violet Citadel).

Even tho Run is cool but.

ps. remember to bring out your own 'Ice cold milk' and 'Simple flour'.

Comment by Crocostimpy

on 2009-11-01T04:45:39-06:00

A big "meh" to this holiday. Could have been interesting given the subject matter, but ended up with no flavor and nothing to keep for a souvenir.

Comment by Martie

on 2009-11-01T04:51:02-06:00

Just wait for the day of the bread.

Comment by shaokan

on 2009-11-01T05:47:03-06:00

2 day pet ftl, I wandered into HoS for the H daily, and guess what happened? *poof* pet gone, and can't get him back :(Was wondering what this day was about to be honest, I was hoping they'd bring back the zombie infestation event for 2 days. Everyone hated it, but now its gone im sure we all miss it...

The hell with that, that was one of the more fun events I was present for. People were organizing zombie raids on the major cities, and we had a blast.

The only bummer was that the guards had been buffed to level 75 by then, making it extremely difficult to even make it very far, due to hit penalties.

ooo i remember that i made my very own raid with 40 ppl(zombies) we got pretty far in using the very own guards in our side and standing together for the healing stuff man i loved that event.rember ppl trying to do their quest and doing stuff in shattra too after the 4th day it was impossible to go against the zombies :P

Comment by Epsilon7

on 2009-11-01T05:53:12-06:00

2 day pet ftl, I wandered into HoS for the H daily, and guess what happened? *poof* pet gone, and can't get him back :(Was wondering what this day was about to be honest, I was hoping they'd bring back the zombie infestation event for 2 days. Everyone hated it, but now its gone im sure we all miss it...

The hell with that, that was one of the more fun events I was present for. People were organizing zombie raids on the major cities, and we had a blast.

The only bummer was that the guards had been buffed to level 75 by then, making it extremely difficult to even make it very far, due to hit penalties.

make web poll for the zombie inasion to happen more!

Comment by Epsilon7

on 2009-11-01T06:01:59-06:00

What about Death Knights? since they dont start in the regular starting area, do you have to visit a graveyard near the Death Hold?

The quest is based on race, not class.

because death knights have no class.

just joking :)

Comment by Varicelle

on 2009-11-01T06:08:28-06:00

Just wait for the day of the bread.

did you mean Night of the Living Bread ?

Comment by Resurect

on 2009-11-01T06:22:08-06:00

If you happen to be an warlock or have one as a friend, the spell Detect Invisibility works to see the ghosts and complete the quest.

Comment by fabz6

on 2009-11-01T06:36:25-06:00

I realy wish this day of the dead was like the scourge invasion with the ghouls,it was an awesome event and it may annoy players but it would only be for one day,i hope blizzard changes this to a thing like scourge invasion.

Comment by Guildmaster

If you mail some bread to someone, they will get DC'd when they get it out of their mailbox. Not only that, but when they log back in, they've been rolled back to their last login location (not the mailbox they were just at) and the bread is now poof! gone.

Day of the Bugs more like.

Comment by zdouse

If you mail some bread to someone, they will get DC'd when they get it out of their mailbox. Not only that, but when they log back in, they've been rolled back to their last login location (not the mailbox they were just at) and the bread is now poof! gone.

Day of the Bugs more like.

BRB making 200 and mailing them to people in trade.

Comment by RedwoodElf

on 2009-11-01T08:38:42-06:00

A Warlock need not buy any flowers. Their See Invisible buff spell lets them see the ghosts for free.

Comment by lisaroxy

on 2009-11-01T08:49:47-06:00

Just wait for the day of the bread.

Don't mages celebrate this daily?

Comment by Sarilyn

on 2009-11-01T09:17:33-06:00

If you log out or do ANYTHING that causes a load screen, EVERY item from this event (including the pet) will vanish from you inventory.

That explains why I lost my Bread of the Dead. That's really annoying. Especially since it requires a ghostly cooking fire. So you can't even use this as a normal recipe (I know, it's about the same level as spice bread, only useful for very low level characters, but I like the looks of the Bread of the Dead more than spice bread).

I have some low level characters that can benefit from the super-easy quest, but overall I have to say that this is all rather disappointing.

The only real amusement is that the NPCs are all typical undead. So they told my Night Elf to "beware the living" and "victory for Sylvanas!" Hmm.

Comment by Icehawknel

If you mail some bread to someone, they will get DC'd when they get it out of their mailbox. Not only that, but when they log back in, they've been rolled back to their last login location (not the mailbox they were just at) and the bread is now poof! gone.

Day of the Bugs more like.

BRB making 200 and mailing them to people in trade.

haha screw that imma get on my horde toon and mail one to EVERYONE on my servers horde side Lmao easiest WG win ever

Comment by Freakinghigh

on 2009-11-01T09:32:30-06:00

A big "meh" to this holiday. Could have been interesting given the subject matter, but ended up with no flavor and nothing to keep for a souvenir.

Indeed that Sucks, I want atleast a pet.. Or just the mask for that sake.. Atleast SOMETHING to keep so I can remember this day.. Not like oh its the day you dont get any -.- Wow big deal..Please blizz... change this :<